Overview

This unique textbook explicitly addresses the intersection of advanced analytics and procurement. It is motivated by one core question: How can firms generate (economic) value from procurement data? It demonstrates that procurement is one of the major functions within a firm where data analytics, artificial intelligence, and operations research can successfully be leveraged to reduce cost and risk and to achieve resilience and sustainability goals.

Content and Focus

The book provides a methods-based overview of data-driven optimization of purchasing decisions. Besides presenting key concepts and applications, it particularly focuses on implementation, so as to help (future) procurement managers and data scientists quickly evaluate the value generated by a given data-driven solution. What sets this textbook apart is its combination of rigorous, state-of-the-art methodologies from academic research and first-hand experience from various application-oriented consulting projects in a range of industries.

Target Audience

Though primarily intended for graduate students with a major in procurement and supply chain management, the book will also benefit purchasing managers with and without specific knowledge of advanced analytics techniques, and data scientists with and without specific experience in procurement.